Snapshots

It Wasn't a Big Deal

(A/N: this is the last one shot for a couple of weeks. I'm going on vacation, so I won't be on Internet for a while. I love you all though, and can't wait to get back to writing soon!)
     It wasn't a big deal. It was the night before the last day of high school. Riley invited us. All of us. At least that's what Maya and I both told our parents. Shawn, actually, was the most resistant of them all, but Cory managed to pull him around with the argument that in fact Farkle and Zay would be there as well.
    "But Cory, they're boys, and girls, in a house together overnight. We were boys their age once Cory. We played this game before!" I heard him screaming through Riley's wall two days prior.
    "I trust these boys Shawn. They are good kids!" he said back.
    "But Lucas!" Shawn pointed out. Maya looked up at me and made a pained expression. I leaned down and placed a kiss on the top of her head, trying to calm her down. Shawn knew me just fine. I'd been dating Maya for three years, and we were all lined up to go to college together after high school ended. So I knew he didn't really mind. And he knew we weren't going to do anything with our friends around. But Maya still got nervous whenever Shawn said my name like that.
    "So, how's this gonna end up?" Zay asks as he turns to us on the window seat.
    "I have no idea," Farkle says in response. Turns out Topanga had to get involved and it took about another hour of conversation before Farkle, Riley, Maya or I could emerge. We had to send Zay out for the soul purpose of scoping out the area and testing the anger in the waters. But he came back with good news- the sleepover was on. So at seven o'clock tonight I picked up Maya from her house and carried her bag to the subway where we rode to Riley's house. I was excited. Maya and I have hung out overnight at the Matthew's before, but that was in the seventh grade and we stayed up playing the family game. Josh was there. I'd rather forget it.
    "Alright," Riley said as she opened her front door. "You guys are finally here! We can officially get started now!" I look past her and see Zay and Farkle already laying out their sleeping bags on the floor. Maya smiles up at me and I lead the two of us in. Maya takes our bags and puts them back in Riley's room before she comes back out to the living room.
    "What's first?" she asks jumping on her best friend's back.
    "Let's play a game," Farkle suggests.
    "Okay, what game?" Riley asks him.
    Zay and Maya share a look before yelling "TWISTER" at the top of their lungs. I laugh before getting up to grab the box that was closest to me.
-
    "Thank you so much," Farkle tells the pizza delivery guy while taking the pizza from him. I hear Maya giggle from underneath Zay as Riley tells her to move her left hand to green.
    "Guys, the pizza's here," I tell them while I help Riley set up the table.
    "Oh we know Huckleberry," Maya responds. "Just have to win this round." I smile. Maya's a competitive person. Zay, not so much. He'll give up eventually.
    15 minutes pass before Zay gets up. "Fine, you win Hart. My stomach is forcing me to give you this victory."
    "You had a doughnut after school at Topanga's though?" Riley questions him as he sits down.
    "Doesn't mean I'm not hungry now," he tells her grabbing a piece from the box and sitting at the table.
    "Alright Babineaux. 53 me, 0 you," Maya tells him coming over to sit next to me on the bench.
    "You've been keeping count?" Farkle asks her while I hand her the plate I had previously made her.
    "Since the eighth grade," she tells him smiling.
    I shake my head. "I regret ever introducing you two to each other," I say, making everyone else at the table laugh. "I really do."
-
    Cory and Topanga asked Riley if Auggie and Ava could watch the movie with us tonight if we decided to do that. We didn't mind, and Riley had already picked out Peter Pan to watch so it was an easy yes. Maya and Riley got Ava and Auggie into their pajamas and made sure they were all ready for bed while Zay, Farkle, and I got ready for sleeping and set up the blankets and sleeping bags.
    "Can I sit with you?" Ava asks Maya once they emerge from Riley's room where they were getting ready.
    "Of course you can Ava. Come sit with me and Lucas," she says smiling at the younger blonde. Ava smiles and grabs her hand. After Ava's parents divorced, she took a real liking to Maya who comforted her and made sure everything was okay. About four years later, and nothing's changed. Except now I tag along on their girl dates. But only to chauffeur. Ava made that abundantly clear the first time it happened. She's still Auggie's wife and Maya's little girl.
    Maya sits down and I realize she's changed too. She's in some leggings, an old Yankees t-shirt of mine, and her hair was up in a bun so that you could see her face. She's never been so beautiful. Ava comes up right in between the two of us and snuggles in. Farkle and Riley are both cuddled up on the couch with Auggie, Maya, Ava, and I are laying down on the floor, and Zay is hanging alone on the side chair. We all look at him. "Sure, I'll put the DVD in. Not like I have anyone to cuddle with," he says putting his arms up. We all laugh. Weirdo. True to his word though, Zay puts in the video and presses play.
    About halfway through the movie, I get up to go to the bathroom. I come back and see that both of the kids are asleep, and Farkle and Maya are singing the songs. I laugh quietly to myself and sit back down next to Ava. I've made myself comfortable again when I feel a small weight on my lap. Ava's now using me as a pillow. I smile down at her and then look up to keep watching the movie. But something catches my attention. Maya is watching me smiling. She comes over even closer and carefully moves Ava's legs to drape over hers'. I smile back and take her hand.
    "Just get all of your mushy-gooshy stuff out of the way before the parents get back and so I don't have to deal with it," Zay tells me and Maya before rolling his eyes. "The same goes for you two," he points at Riley and Farkle. Riley giggles before Farkle leans over and kisses her, Auggie completely oblivious to what's happening right above him. "Go," Zay says looking at us. I lean over and hold her face with my free hand and kiss her. It's short and sweet, but we aren't into PDA around our friends unless one of us is nervous. "Cute. Love time over," Zay says, but he's laughing.
    We all settle down and watch the rest of the movie. It's rolling the end titles of our second movie of the night when Mr. and Mrs. Matthews walk in. They smile at us and Topanga starts whispering. "We've talked it over and decided the girls could sleep in the living room if you'd like with the boys. Just, keep everything rated G," she says ending with a smile as she walks back to the hallway. "Goodnight kids!"
    Corey goes to grab Auggie. "I'll be back for Ava," he tells me but I shake my head.
    "I've got her sir," I tell him scooping up the young girl easily in my arms. Maya walks back with me and I lay her down in Riley's bed. She stirs a little bit and looks scared but Maya leans down and comforts her.
    "I'm just in the living room if you need me," she tells the little one before kissing her forehead and closing the door. I give her a hug that she melts into and I smile into her hair. "I'm tired Lucas," she tells me and I feel her yawn.
    "I know shortstack," I tell her, releasing her from the hug. "Let's go back to our friends. Maybe we can get you to sleep too." She sleepily nods and grabs my hand. I smile down at her before leading us both to the living room again. Farkle and Riley have now joined Zay on the floor and I look at Maya who's about to fall asleep standing up.
    "Goodnight guys," she says as she climbs into her sleeping bag next to Riley.
    "Goodnight peaches," she says back.
    "Goodnight Maya," I tell her as I lay beside her.
    "Goodnight Riles. Goodnight Lucas." Her breathing quickly becomes even and I smile to myself. I see Farkle wrap his arms around Riley as they fall asleep and Zay is whispering quietly on the phone with Vanessa. I take a cue from Farkle and wrap my arm around Maya before closing my eyes and quickly falling asleep.
-
    And that position is what Mr. and Mrs. Matthews saw the next morning when they came into the room to wake us up for our last day of school. Overall, I'd say it was a good night.